Microbe is a shy, artist wanna-be who has a hard time making friends at school. Then he finds a kindred spirit in Gasoline, and the two of them set out on a road trip across France in their handmade car for an adventure that shows how friendship can help us be our best selves.

This is the premise behind Microbe and Gasoline, the film featured by The White River Indie Festival this Friday, March 10, at 7pm at the Briggs Opera House. It is a comedy released last summer and directed by Michel Gondry, who also directed Mood Indigo and Be Kind Rewind and was a cowriter of the screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It stars first-time film actor Ange Dargent (Microbe), Théophile Baquet (Gasoline), and Audrey Tautou, who also starred in the films Amelie and The Da Vinci Code.

The film, which is a NYT Critics’ Pick, was popular at the 2016 Vermont International Film Festival. It’s in French with English subtitles and rated R for some sexual content involving young teenagers. Orly Yadin, executive director for the VTIFF, will introduce the film.

The night’s sponsor, White River Indie Festival, is an educational nonprofit group whose goal is to engage the public in political and social issues while also supporting the visual arts through film. They select films based on artistic and social merit. FYI: This year’s annual White River Indie Film Festival is planned for June 1–4.

Tickets available on Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/microbe-and-gasoline-tickets-31605127788).

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Visit www.wrif.org or call (802) 478-0191 to learn more.